Badrijani Borani

This is a sauteed eggplant with onion, garlic and cilantro mayonnaise spread.

My first recipe! Well, ok, so I do not have any measurements, but it seems like something that does not really need them.

You take some eggplant (badrijani) and slice them lengthwise. You do not want to slice them to thin because then they might tear, so not too thin not too thick. Then you saute them in oil in a skillet until they are browned and cooked through.

Chop some garlic and onion. Remember this is going to be a spread, so you do not want to have to many onion and garlic chunks, just enough for texture and flavor. Ea was saying that you can saute the onion and garlic if you want, but it is healthier not to. So we did not this time.

Mix the finely chopped garlic and onion with finely chopped (almost pureed) cilantro in mayonnaise and add some salt, Georgians tend to like things really salty, so the amount of salt should be up to you.

Once it is all mixed evenly you take the sauteed eggplant slices and slather on the spread. You need to wait until the eggplant is cool otherwise you will burn your hand and the spread will slip off of the eggplant. Put about a forkful onto the slice and then fold it in half and gently press it together. Add a bit more spread to the top.

There you have it. Badrijanis Borani ready to eat.

This recipe can also be made with nuts instead of mayonnaise and then it is called Badrijanis Satsivi. The nuts will need to be ground and I feel that there still needs to be something to make it creamy, but I could be wrong. Maybe I will find out when we make it sometime!

Also, Ea said that roasted bell-pepper is good to add to the spread mixture.